Are E-Bikes Worth It? (For Young Families)
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- We rode an E-bike for 90 days. Are they worth it?
Check out Lug+Carrie for subscription e-bikes: lug-carrie.com...
▶︎ Socials and Gear: linktr.ee/mark...
▶︎ Lug+Carrie: bit.ly/3WAsIYq
I love to come to your channel once in a while, you're still an inspiration in attitude, after all these years. I hope you and your family are well.
the original cycling vlogging channel for me, LOVED maven content, shame he's moved on :(
@@GenuinePluko i think he has moved on for all the right reasons, but I know what you mean. Maven, if you read this: I hope you and your family are well.
This channel was fantastic! You have almost 50K subscribers and your content was good! You COULD make a living out of this channel! Find the time to do it!
the original cycling vlogging channel for me, LOVED maven content, shame he's moved on :(
Maven I miss your content!!!
I just watched your video, it has been about a year since you posted.
I used to feel the same way about riding in the cooler and wetter weather.
I have learned how to properly prepare for and dress for the weather, and I actually like to ride in the rain now.
I love the sound of the rain while riding, the freshness of the air and also love the cooler crisp air.
It is something to get used to, and being prepared with a little bit of the proper gear makes cooler or wet weather enjoyable to ride in.
I always have a rain cape in my saddle bags in case I get caught off guard.
I suggest to you and others not avoid the rain and cold, but learn how to adapt to it. You may come to enjoy riding in the weather that you don’t particularly enjoy now.
However, use common sense … probably not the best idea to be sitting on several pounds of metal during a thunderstorm 😳
You don't touch on the aspect of the positive mental health benefits of your children being out in the environment when on the back of the bike rather than being buried inside the back of the car. Or the health benefits for you and your wife in getting physical exercise.
Came to see of Maven still makes vids!!!Loved yoir vids,gonna try and get back on the saddle after 3 years of no riding🤦🏻♂️
So glad to see your video. Been loving cargo bikes/trikes for a long time.
The high price, as implied, is not just HUGELY cheaper than a car, but you
knowingly realize the HUGE increase in your Family Fun!
So happy to see you trying a Tern!
You were my favourite UA-camr......shame you are not as prolific as you used to be.
that's great you've managed to minimize your incidental exercise. " Incidental activity is any activity built up in small amounts over the day. For example, walking up the stairs or to the bus stop. Why is incidental activity important? Physical activity is a major factor in preventing and reducing the risk of many health conditions (eg. heart disease, diabetes and some cancers)."
I found you thru a Durianrider interview.
Ebikes are super popular here in NYC and you often see families with kids in these long style bikes hauling around town. So cool!
Miss your adventures. But I get how much you have in your life with toddlers. ❤
I ride a ebike almost everyday. Transport my daughter back and forth from school. She loves it. I really enjoy getting outside every even in the winter, fat tires are great for Michigan weather
I’ve been visiting Melbourne frequently and have to say your cycling infrastructure, especially trails off road is so much better tan what we have here in Auckland!
Fantastic informative video mate, good to see you back on the channel👍
I set that bad boy on Turbo all day every day.🤣
Check out Lug+Carrie here if you're curious: bit.ly/3WAsIYq
music track playing in the first 2 mins? thx
I have 2 boys of a similar age. Same debate on a second car with my partner back before Christmas. Bit the bullet and picked up a yuba cargo second hand. What a game changer! Done nearly 1000km of commuteing school/nursery runs every day through a European winter and all good. Cant wait to have it through the summer.
Yeah awesome bro. I'll google that one.
@@cyclingmaven its the kombi E5 compact cargo. Enough space for a bigger one and a child seat and a great big basket up front. Tern looks lush but out of my budget. The longterm leasing sounds like a great option especially as a way to work out if it fits. All the best Mark and cheers for the videos, makes my day to see a slice of yours.
Such an Aussie!! 10c and rainy is good weather here in Scotland. We're glad it's not 0c and snowing. I don't have a car. I have an e-bike and I have studded tyres available when needed
Nice video, I have a Tern Quick haul which is also a great option. Little less carrying capacity than HSD and not as many bells and whistles but is more affordable and still really nice. Plus if you're in North America it can go up to 28mph (instead of the 20 max in Europe). I will say that rain and cold are no problem if you dress right, my raincoat and rain pants do a great job and aren't really that cumbersome since there is storage on the bike.
Never knew I lived so close to you. Cool to see you going to all the places/trails/roads that I ride on.
Fantastic vid, I've been doing deep dive research over the past few weeks into the Tern GSD as we're seriously considering purchasing one here in New Zealand. Our situation will be precisely like yours in a couple of years in terms of our children's ages. This is by far the best video that I've seen for people living and using the Tern. Also, I did smile a bit when I saw what you view as a _steep hill._ I'm in Wellington, and those Melbourne "hills" are veritable mole hills. :) All the best to you and yours.
Yep....great idea. We have a Townie for just recreation. Here in Wisconsin year round riding is not an option. Glad to see yah back Maven. Hannah looks fit as ever and oh my, children have grown. Please keep the videos coming.
E cargo (or even just cargo bike) makes so much sense for so many little errands. For those that don't like the idea of the kiddos sitting behind, front loaders like the Riese Müller or Urban Arrow ones are great to ride as well. I myself have a non-electric cargo bike from Douze and it's served me well for school drop offs and shopping until now. Kid's too big to sit in the front anymore but I still use it for supermarket runs and small trips into town nearly every day.
Lug and Carrie subscription service also includes insurance and roadside assistance plus routine services. You can also rent, as part of the deal, racks, bags and other accessories from as little as $3 per week. Compare that to a latte takeaway. They are also fantastic to deal with.
Wow! That's impressive. Would love it if they set up shop in New Zealand.
@@Sulu-d4r They have expanded to the 3 major cities in Aus and I believe there have been talks with NZ as Tern is developing a big presence there. Just recently there is other companies setting up business with a similar profile after seeing Lug and Carrie success. I would not be surprised if a similar model happens there, especially as you have more practical laws regarding ebike speeds.
Miss your videos shit loads fella, are you coming back???
I had a TERN GSD gen 1 and now have a GEN 2. It’s a great bike. The children are bigger now but for 6 years they went to school on the back of the eBike. We still use it to drop the biggest one, who is 12 at the tram stop where she meets her friends. Get an eBike - they are fantastic.
Panasonic in Japan make a series of E-Bike "mamachari" simple workhorse bikes. They start at $900 and the fully specced up one with two child carriers and luggage and wireless keys and so on is only $1900.
We really get smashed in Aus. Everything is expensive
Such a great environment friendly alternative to the gas guzzler. Great to see you back doing vlogs 🚲
Good to see you bk on the youtube
I think we're neighbours as that's clearly in Carnegie where I live. I just started renting (yesterday) from lug and carrie. Just gonna use mine for commuting and shopping. Thanks for the video.
It's good to see you again dude.
Thanks for the video Maven, I've been saving up the pennies to convert one of my bikes to an e-bike. i used to have one back in 2011, it was great for commuting to work, would get me there relatively quickly and would bypass traffic. With the rise of interest rates, cost of living, petrol etc. It only makes sense for me to reduce some expenses by using an ebike.
Single car family W/kids here with a Yuba Spicy curry bike as the second 'car'.
Absolutely bloody love it from trips to school Bunnings and even the full weekly shop at Aldi's.
Also VERY jealous of your bicycle trails. We are in a rural town in NSW.
I haven't owned a gas vehicle for 15yrs now and after trying a couple of e-bikes i'm a believer. Here in asia tho public transport costs small change Buses, jeepneys and tricycles are plentiful and they go everywhere.... and 10K is the cost of a property!....Even so i'm tempted by some sort of e-motor powered bike.
Yet another quality Maven video, thanks!!
I reckon $10K would buy a handy second hand car, it's pretty expensive but I can see the utility.
Plus, riding around with the kids can be just awesome fun that can't be replicated chauffeuring them around in a car.
Rego, fuel, Maitanence, insurance would easily be a couple k a year, after 5 years you've paid it off.
@@2_pelicans and in 5 years the kids won't want to be on the back!! Take your point - right now the joy from the kids really makes this worthwhile, but it's a surprising amount of coin required for a bike.
There's definitely gonna be cheaper alternatives to this
@@mechpatt Expensive, ONLY if not compared to a second automobile. Hey, after that "5 years" take the Wee One's seat/s off.
You still have a multi-use cargo bike!
HELLO!
I converted my genesis croix de fer to a mid motor bafang e-bike and I absolutely love it. I was using it every day for work but as winter hit here in the UK I found it much harder to motivate in the Bike V car choice at 6am. But, as soon as Spring comes I'll be back on it every day. E-bikes really are great.
What do we want? MAVEN!
What do we want from him? Another video!
When do we want it? NOW!! 😊😊😊
God I miss your bike adventures Mark!
Great video, sold me further on getting a cargo e-bike for around town.
Maaaaaveeeeeen is back
Yes these bikes can replace a car for errands. I love my cargo ebike. I commute by bike and try to run most of errands by bike. And there are many cargo bike models meanwhile. Also cargo cheaper ones. Tern is kind of the Mercedes of e-bikes. There are other brands with similar models such as the Blix Packa or Radwagon which are a lot cheaper.
Love the e bike option. We live close to the city in Perth and would consider getting an e bike for those days we cbf riding in on our roadies or, just to go to Aldi etc
Keep ‘em coming mate.
I suppose the ideal scenario is being able to charge the battery from a PV panel if you can, great real world video
The biggest downside to bikes are the days where the weather is bad and it's raining or snowing. On warm summer days there are so much more people on a bike riding to work than on rainy days. But most of those people switch to their car or the train once the weather is bad. So on those days both alternatives are congested and its no fun either. But sitting in your warm car singing to your favorite song makes it tolerable
I agree. Melbourne is good though as you can take the e-bike on the train which I’ve done several times. Ride / train combo.
The blue train....great idea....ticks all the boxes....
Get some rain gear...how bad...l live in Ireland so l know what lm talking about...great for the kids...
They will talk about it forever in the future...
Back before e bikes l used to toe a trailer on the back of the mountain bike..
There eighteen now and they still smile when u mention that time..
Hanging up in the garage now wait for the next generation....how bad...
The kids smile says it all...
Good to see u and Hannah having a great time...win win....been a while...
Good to catch up...super humans...👍😁😎
I
Awesome, mate. I sold our second car a year ago and I have been ebiking to work since, I absolutely love it. I am still trying to convince the wife about getting a cargo bike but we have parking issues to contend with to use it as a serious shopping device here in Auckland so she isn't convinced....yet.
Worse than parking a car?
@@pascaladl Yeah, they actually have car parking spaces.
That sucks. Space for a ton of metal but not an itsy bitsy E-Bike.
Fwiw, my front loader cargo bike is easy to lock up and much safer than a normal bike to leave, because you don't notice you carry a big ass lock, it stands on its own with a great kickstand and is waaaay to heavy to just carry away. So I often just throw a lock through the wheel and leave it wherever.
Mate, just because it rained doesn't mean it ruins your day! With the cargo capacity, you can prepare for the weather with a towel to dry off the saddle and extra clothes for the temperature change! Of course, I bought my first bike in 1985 and grew up in a rainy part of the world. So, rain is as natural to me as any other weather.
Thanks for sharing!
Has mavern stopped make videos ??
In a sunny climate this is a non brainer. Unfortunately I live in the UK 🌧️☔
Here’s the big question I’ve got: Can you take it on the train?
I live in Western Sydney. I want to get a cargo bike for hauling my baby boy around and going on adventures. This is likely to involve some train travel.
Also, if I were to take it for my work commute instead of my mountain bike, again, it needs to go on a train.
We can't afford a second car, simple as. To me this would work very well for my wife, who doesn't drive, and does the school run twice a day. Will it be available in the UK?
Hey maven great to see you again, I have an achilles strain would you recommend a stationary bike to keep fitness up? Hope the family are well
Yes... or an e-bike. ;-)
I don't need or want one, but watched it all because it's quality maven content
I miss this channel Mark. Hope all is well.
I know its an ad but price of that is outrageous! Convert a regular cargo bike with an better electric motor and and bugger battery for one third of that price easy!
No longer having kiddies to worry about anymore (grandchildren instead) I've occasionally wondered about a cargo bike but the usefulness out in the 'burbs is up in the air thanks to hit and miss cycling infrastructure.
In all honesty, I'd love to be able to feel safe riding my roadie to work again buuuuuut the Hume Highway Somerton and bicycle safety are somewhat mutually exclusive.
So rental is working, but does it make you consider buying one? Maybe an economy e-bike for one?
Yeah, if I had the money 100% I’d buy one.
When’s the next vid!
Mark why do you say Hannar sometimes and Hannah the other? Just curious!
If that thing was in the US, it'd already be stolen on the back of someone's truck in another state. Lol In your opinion, is Australia or Girona the best place to live for riding bike?
Australia is a big place an Girona is a town, but I'd say places in Australia like Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne are better than Girona for riding bikes. I haven't spent a great deal of time in Girona though.
I'm just saying that this year is the 50th anniversary of RAGBRI and if they sent you and the bike to the US... #justsayin
Not to mention greener for the environment.
...but how and why is it $10K? ?!? Jeez...
I used to ride a Pinarello to the city every day and I was so fit and healthy. Now I work in an industrial wasteland and drive every day (for higher wages). The only thing to eat is a crumbed chicken cheese sausage from the cafe. I will be dead within 10 years for sure.
Lol that's a great little post. You could make your own lunch and take it to work?
@@Sulu-d4r I just got a new job out of the industrial wasteland. Riding over 100km a week just commuting. (Another fast road bike). Still see no need for ebikes for young people if you have showers at work and somewhere to lock a decent fast bike up.
Battery life and charging time?
Charing time from empty to full is several hours, 4-6hrs I'd say.
Each battery can do about 40km and I have two with the option of adding a third.
Do the handlebars go higher? it look like your shoulders are stooped
Great question, I've wondered that myself. 6ft3 here, so I definitely don't want to be slouching.
Yo mark! Go ride again mate! 😂
Great vid Maven. I'm shocked rhe difference with the motor on and off going up the hill. How often does this bike need charging?
I charge it once a week I'd say and we ride it every day.
i just noticed you have 2 great kids ha ha ha wow where did the years go
The problem with this size bike is parking and locking them up.
Funny, I see the problem with smaller models being too easy to carry away. This model is more cumbersome if the wheels don't turn.
People think twice about picking this up and stealing it because it’s so heavy. I feel more confident locking, alarm and then leaving it.
Getting Shit Done.
This is only going to work short term as the kids will be too big to sit on the back of the bike soon.
That particular bike has a 200kg capacity, including the bike weight. So they could comfortably fit on that bike for a while longer. Whether they want to be seen being ridden by their folks at a certain age is another matter! ;)
Are you starting to love cycling again??
What ever happened to rhino I never see you guys ride together anymore
Great appraisal to an everyday problem. In Sydney I more worry about riding on roads now. The issues with anti-cyclist drivers has gotten silly. The bike looks great tho but for $10k I agree, I’d rather spend that on an s works!
These bikes are insanely expensive. How a bike can be more then the cost of my Nissan micra and also theirs no infrastructure for me to ride safely.
Meee! Haha love it
$10,000 yikes!
10000aud? Are they having a larf? Even 50aud per week is mental.
Me!
Here's my -ve's for e-bikes
1. Risky riding at night
2. Police indifference to bike theft
3. Shopping centres indifference to bike security
4. Wife is quite wobbly riding a bike
They make trikes that are rigid or can lean into turns. Can be locked rigid if need occurs.
Hopefully entities will recognize bicycle use more and more!
🔥 "Promo SM"
Personally I think it's very dangerous to put kids on back.
You have a long tail. That’s not a cargo bike.
Once you get a cargo you will then replace the car
Yes I stand corrected. Thanks.
please dont put your children in those things, absolute death traps, you can be the best rider in the world, and a car may still hit you. theres no excuses. dont risk your kids lives to save money.
That'snot the fault of the bike. This is also Australia where we aren't slaves to car infrastructure as badly as the US.
I live in New Zealand and percentage wise the number of car accidents causing death compared to those car accidents involving cyclists causing death is negligible. And, I have never heard of a car hitting a cyclist causing the death of children. Obviously that may be very different to where you live.